Refrigerator

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator includes an auger including a transfer unit transferring ice in an ice bucket and a driving gear unit formed at the end of the transfer unit and transmitting rotary force and an agitator including an agitation unit agitating the ice in the ice bucket and a driven gear unit combined with the end of the agitation unit. The auger is formed integrally and thus, the number of parts of the auger is reduced and the assembled structure of the auger is simplified. The ice bucket is fixed in the upward, downward, and horizontal directions by a dual fixing device and is easily attached to and detached from a door of the refrigerator.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority benefit of Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2013-0160832, filed on Dec. 20, 2013 in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The following description relates to a refrigerator having an ice makerprovided on a door.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a refrigerator is an electric home appliance which includesstorage chambers storing food and cold air supply devices supplying coldair to the storage chambers to keep the food in a fresh state. Thestorage chambers are provided within a main body such that the frontsurfaces of the storage chambers are opened and the opened frontsurfaces of the storage chambers are opened and closed by doors.

The refrigerator may include an ice maker to make ice, an ice bucketstoring the ice made by the ice maker, an auger transferring the ice inthe ice bucket, an agitator agitating the ice in the ice bucket, and adriving motor to drive the auger.

Particularly, the auger and the agitator may be driven together by onedriving motor.

SUMMARY

Therefore, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide arefrigerator in which an auger and an agitator are operated together byone driving motor, assembly of the auger and the agitator is simplified,the number of parts of the auger and the number of parts of the agitatorare reduced and thus, productivity is improved.

It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a refrigerator inwhich an ice bucket is easily attached to and detached from a door.

Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in thedescription which follows and, in part, will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigeratorincludes a main body including storage chambers, doors rotatablycombined with the main body to open and close the storage chambers, anice maker provided on one of the doors, an ice bucket provided on thedoor to store ice made by the ice maker, an auger provided on the icebucket to be rotatable and including a transfer unit transferring theice in the ice bucket and a driving gear unit formed integrally with theend of the transfer unit and transmitting rotary force, and an agitatorprovided on the ice bucket to be rotated by the rotary force transmittedfrom the auger and including an agitation unit agitating the ice in theice bucket and a driven gear unit engaged with the driving gear unit andcombined with the end of the agitation unit.

The transfer unit and the driving gear unit may be formed integrallythrough injection molding.

The refrigerator may further include a motor driving the auger and theauger and the agitator may be rotated together by driving the motor.

The auger and the agitator may be rotated in opposite directions.

The driving gear unit of the auger and the driven gear unit of theagitator may be disposed at the outside of the ice bucket.

The ice bucket may include a driving gear unit passage hole throughwhich the driving gear unit of the auger passes.

The auger may further include an auger separation prevention rib havinga greater diameter than the diameter of the driving gear unit passagehole to prevent the auger from being separated to the outside of the icebucket via the driving gear unit passage hole.

The agitation unit may include a gear combination unit provided at theend of the agitation rotary shaft so that the driven gear unit iscombined with the gear combination unit.

The ice bucket may include a gear combination unit passage hole throughwhich the gear combination unit passes.

The agitator may further include an agitator separation prevention ribhaving a greater diameter than the diameter of the gear combination unitpassage hole to prevent the agitator from being separated to the outsideof the ice bucket via the gear combination unit passage hole.

The agitation unit and the driven gear unit may be fixed to each otherusing a screw or a hook.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigeratorincludes a main body, doors rotatably combined with the main body, anice bucket attached to and detached from one of the doors, and a dualfixing device fixing the ice bucket to the door, wherein the dual fixingdevice includes first latches provided on the ice bucket to berotatable, each of the first latches including a first locking part,elastic members elastically supporting the first latches, second latchesprovided on the ice bucket to be fixed, each of the second latchesincluding a second locking part, first catches provided on the door,each of the first catches including an upper support surface supportingthe upper end of the first locking part to prevent separation of the icebucket in the upward direction and a first side support surfacesupporting the side end of the first locking part to prevent separationof the ice bucket in the horizontal direction, and second catchesprovided on the door, each of the second catches including a lowersupport surface supporting the lower end of the second locking part toprevent separation of the ice bucket in the downward direction and asecond side support surface supporting the side end of the secondlocking part to prevent separation of the ice bucket in the horizontaldirection.

The first latches may be provided at higher positions of the ice bucketthan the second latches.

The first latches may be fixed to the first catches after the secondlatches are fixed to the second catches.

Locking between the second latches and the second catches may bereleased after locking between the first latches and the first catchesare released.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent andmore readily appreciated from the following description of theembodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings ofwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an ice bucket of therefrigerator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the ice bucket, anauger, and an agitator of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the ice bucket of the refrigerator ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view illustrating the ice bucket of therefrigerator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the ice bucket of therefrigerator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an attachment and detachment structure ofthe ice bucket on a door of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a fixation structure between a secondlatch and a second catch of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a fixation structure between a first latchand a first catch of the refrigerator of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view illustrating the fixation structure betweenthe first latch and the first catch of the refrigerator of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the presentdisclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elementsthroughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspectiveview illustrating an ice bucket of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 isan exploded perspective view illustrating the ice bucket, an auger, andan agitator of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a plan viewillustrating the ice bucket of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is apartial sectional view illustrating the ice bucket of the refrigeratorof FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the ice bucket of therefrigerator of FIG. 1.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, a refrigerator 1 in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure includes a main body 10 forming theexternal appearance of the refrigerator 1, storage chambers 18 and 19formed within the main body 10 and storing food, doors 20 and 30combined with the main body 10 to open and close the storage chambers 18and 19, an ice maker 11 making ice, and an ice bucket assembly 50storing the ice made by the ice maker 11. The ice bucket assembly 50includes an ice bucket 80 and an ice bucket cover 60 combined with thefront surface of the ice bucket 80.

The storage chambers 18 and 19 may include a freezing chamber 18 formedin the left portion of the main body 10 and a refrigerating chamber 19formed in the right portion of the main body 10. The freezing chamber 18and the refrigerating chamber 19 may be divided by a diaphragm 17.

The doors 20 and 30 may include a door 20 opening and closing thefreezing chamber 18 and a door 30 opening and closing the refrigeratingchamber 19. The doors 20 and 30 may be combined with the main body 10 byhinges 15 and 16 to be rotatable.

A driving motor 120 transmitting rotary force to an auger 90 of the icebucket 80 when the door 20 is closed may be provided on the side wall ofthe main body 10. Therefore, in the refrigerator in accordance with theembodiment of the present disclosure, connection between the auger 90and the driving motor 120 may be released when the door 20 is opened andthe auger 90 and the driving motor 120 may be connected when the door 20is closed.

By providing the driving motor 120 on the side wall of the main body 10in such a manner, an ice storage space within the ice bucket 80 may beincreased and the structure of the ice bucket 80 may be simplified.

The auger 90 is provided in the ice bucket 80 to transfer ice stored inthe ice bucket 80 to an ice discharge port. When the driving motor 120is operated, the auger 90 may be rotated to transfer the ice.

Further, an agitator 100 agitating the stored ice is provided in the icebucket 80. The agitator 100 is connected to the auger 90 and thus, whenthe auger 90 is rotated, the agitator 100 may be rotated in connectionwith the auger 90.

The auger 90 includes a transfer unit 91 transferring ice in the icebucket 80 and a driving gear unit 96 formed at the lengthwise end of thetransfer unit 91 and transferring rotary force to the agitator 100.

The transfer unit 91 may include an auger rotary shaft 92 and a transferblade 93 protruding from the auger rotary shaft 92 in the radialdirection to transfer ice. The transfer blade 93 may be provided in aspiral shape and transfer ice in the axial direction when the auger 90is rotated.

The driving gear unit 96 may be disposed at the outside of the icebucket 80 and engaged with a driven gear unit 116 of the agitator 100.When the driving gear unit 96 is rotated, the driven gear unit 116 maybe rotated in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of thedriving gear unit 96.

A driving gear unit passage hole 81 through which the driving gear unit96 passes may be formed on the ice bucket 80. Therefore, the auger 90may be combined with the ice bucket 80 by causing the driving gear unit96 to pass through the driving gear unit passage hole 81 from the insideto the outside of the ice bucket 80.

The auger 90 may include a coupler combination unit 97 with which acoupler 98 combined with the driving motor 120 and receiving drivingforce transmitted from the driving motor 120 and an auger separationprevention rib 95 preventing the auger 90 from being separated to theoutside of the ice bucket 80 through the driving gear unit passage hole81.

The auger separation prevention rib 95 may have a greater diameter thanthe diameter of the driving gear unit passage hole 81 and be supportedby the inner surface of the ice bucket 80.

The transfer unit 91 and the driving gear unit 96 may be integrallyformed of a resin through injection molding. Therefore, the augerincluding the transfer unit 91 and the driving gear unit 96 may beformed integrally. Although not shown in the drawings, an iron core maybe provided within the auger rotary shaft 92 to reinforce the augerrotary shaft 92. Here, the iron core may be inserted into a mold for theauger 90 and then, the auger 90 be formed around the iron core byinjection molding.

The agitator 100 includes an agitation unit 110 agitating ice in the icebucket 80 and the driven gear unit 116 combined with the end of theagitation unit 110, engaged with the driving gear unit 96, and rotated.The agitation unit 110 is disposed at the inside of the ice bucket 80and the driven gear unit 116 is disposed at the outside of the icebucket 80.

The agitation unit 110 may agitate ice, thus preventing the ice fromclumping and guiding the ice to be efficiently dispensed. The agitationunit 110 may include an agitation rotary shaft 111, agitation blades 112protruding from the agitation rotary shaft 111 in the radial directionto agitate ice, and a gear combination unit 113 provided at the end ofthe agitation rotary shaft 111 so that the driven gear unit 116 iscombined with the gear combination unit 113.

A gear combination unit passage hole 82 through which the gearcombination unit 113 of the agitator 100 passes may be formed on the icebucket 82. Therefore, the agitation unit 110 and the driven gear unit116 may be combined with each other through the gear combination unitpassage hole 82.

The agitation unit 110 and the driven gear unit 116 may be firmlycoupled with a screw S. For this purse, coupling holes 114 and 117 maybe formed through the agitation unit 110 and the driven gear unit 116.However, differently from this embodiment, the agitation unit 110 andthe driven gear unit 116 may be combined through a hook structure.

The agitator 100 includes an agitator separation prevention rib 115preventing the agitator 100 from being separated to the outside of theice bucket 80 through the gear combination unit passage hole 82.

The agitator separation prevention rib 115 may have a greater diameterthan the diameter of the gear combination unit passage hole 82 and besupported by the inner surface of the ice bucket 80.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an attachment and detachment structure ofthe ice bucket on a door of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a viewillustrating a fixation structure between a second latch and a secondcatch of the refrigerator of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a view illustrating afixation structure between a first latch and a first catch of therefrigerator of FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is a sectional view illustrating thefixation structure between the first latch and the first catch of therefrigerator of FIG. 1.

The refrigerator in accordance with the embodiment of the presentdisclosure includes a dual fixing device fixing the ice bucket 50 to thedoor 20.

The dual fixing device includes first latches 61 provided on the icebucket 50 to be rotatable, each of the first latches 61 including afirst locking part 62, second latches 71 provided on the ice bucket 50to be fixed, each of the second latches 71 including a second lockingpart 72, first catches 21 provided on the door 20 to correspond to thefirst latches 61, and second catches 31 provided on the door 20 tocorrespond to the second latches 71.

The first latches 61 are provided at higher positions than the secondlatches 71 and thus, the first catches 21 may be provided at higherpositions than the second catches 31.

The first latch 61 may include a rotary shaft 66, the first locking part62, a pressing part 67 to apply pressure to release locking between thefirst latch 61 and the first catch 21, and an elastic member 65elastically supporting the first latch 61.

When pressure is applied to the pressing part 67, the first latch 61 isrotated and thus, locking between the first latch 61 and the first catch21 may be released and, when pressure applied to the pressing part 67 isremoved, the first latch 67 may return to the locking position byelastic force of the elastic member 65.

The first catch 21 may include an upper support surface 22 supporting anupper end 63 of the first locking part 62 to prevent separation of theice bucket 50 in the upward direction and a first side support surface23 supporting a side end 64 of the first locking part 62 to preventseparation of the ice bucket 50 in the horizontal direction.

Thereby, the first latch 61 and the first catch 21 may preventseparation of the ice bucket 50 in the upward direction and separationof the ice bucket 50 in the horizontal direction.

The second catch 31 may include a lower support surface 32 supporting alower end 73 of the second locking part 72 to prevent separation of theice bucket 50 in the downward direction and a second side supportsurface 33 supporting a side end 74 of the second locking part 72 toprevent separation of the ice bucket 50 in the horizontal direction.

Thereby, the second latch 71 and the second catch 31 may preventseparation of the ice bucket 50 in the downward direction and separationof the ice bucket 50 in the horizontal direction.

The ice bucket 50 in accordance with the embodiment of the presentdisclosure is fixed in the upward, downward, and horizontal directionsby the dual fixing device in such a manner and may thus be stably fixedregardless of vibration due to operation of the driving motor 120.

The ice bucket 50 having the above configuration in accordance with theembodiment of the present disclosure may be mounted on the door 20 bysequentially fixing the lower portion of the ice bucket 50 and thenfixing the upper portion of the ice bucket 50. That is, after the secondlatches 71 are fixed to the second catches 31, the first latches 51 maybe fixed to the first catches 21.

Therefore, the ice bucket 50 may be easily mounted on the door 20 byfixing the lower portion of the ice bucket 50 and then pushing the upperportion of the ice bucket 50.

On the other hand, the ice bucket 50 may be easily separated from thedoor 20 by releasing locking of the upper portion of the ice bucket 50and then releasing locking of the lower portion of the ice bucket 50.That is, after locking between the first latches 51 and the firstcatches 21 is released, locking between the second latches 71 and thesecond catches 31 may be released.

As is apparent from the above description, in a refrigerator inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the number ofparts of an auger and the number of parts of an agitator are reduced andthus, productivity of the refrigerator may be improved and the auger andthe agitator may be simply assembled.

Further, an ice bucket may be easily attached to and detached from adoor and stably fixed to the door.

Although a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown anddescribed, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in these embodiments without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is definedin the claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A refrigerator comprising: a main body comprisinga storage chamber; a door rotatably combined with the main body to openand close the storage chamber; an ice maker provided on the door; an icebucket provided on the door to store ice made by the ice maker; an augerprovided on the ice bucket to be rotatable and comprising a transferunit transferring the ice in the ice bucket and a driving gear unitintegrally formed with the end of the transfer unit and transmittingrotary force; and an agitator provided on the ice bucket to be rotatedby the rotary force transmitted from the auger and comprising anagitation unit agitating the ice in the ice bucket and a driven gearunit engaged with the driving gear unit and combined with the end of theagitation unit.
 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein thetransfer unit and the driving gear unit are integrally formed throughinjection molding.
 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, furthercomprising a motor driving the auger, wherein the auger and the agitatorare rotated together by driving the motor.
 4. The refrigerator accordingto claim 3, wherein the auger and the agitator are rotated in oppositedirections.
 5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein thedriving gear unit of the auger and the driven gear unit of the agitatorare disposed at the outside of the ice bucket.
 6. The refrigeratoraccording to claim 1, wherein the ice bucket comprises a driving gearunit passage hole through which the driving gear unit of the augerpasses.
 7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the augerfurther comprises an auger separation prevention rib having a greaterdiameter than the diameter of the driving gear unit passage hole toprevent the auger from being separated to the outside of the ice bucketvia the driving gear unit passage hole.
 8. The refrigerator according toclaim 1, wherein the agitation unit comprises a gear combination unitprovided at the end of the agitation rotary shaft so that the drivengear unit is combined with the gear combination unit.
 9. Therefrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the ice bucket comprises agear combination unit passage hole through which the gear combinationunit passes.
 10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein theagitator further comprises an agitator separation prevention rib havinga greater diameter than the diameter of the gear combination unitpassage hole to prevent the agitator from being separated to the outsideof the ice bucket via the gear combination unit passage hole.
 11. Therefrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the agitation unit and thedriven gear unit are fixed to each other using at least one of a screwand a hook.
 12. A refrigerator comprising: a main body; a door rotatablycombined with the main body; an ice bucket attached to and detached fromthe door; and a dual fixing device fixing the ice bucket to the door,wherein the dual fixing device comprises: a first latch provided on theice bucket to be rotatable and comprising a first locking part; anelastic member elastically supporting the first latch; a second latchprovided on the ice bucket to be fixed and comprising a second lockingpart; a first catch provided on the door and comprising an upper supportsurface supporting the upper end of the first locking part to preventseparation of the ice bucket in the upward direction and a first sidesupport surface supporting the side end of the first locking part toprevent separation of the ice bucket in the horizontal direction; and asecond catch provided on the door and comprising a lower support surfacesupporting the lower end of the second locking part to preventseparation of the ice bucket in the downward direction and a second sidesupport surface supporting the side end of the second locking part toprevent separation of the ice bucket in the horizontal direction. 13.The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the first latch isprovided at a higher position of the ice bucket than the second latch.14. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the first latch isfixed to the first catch after the second latch is fixed to the secondcatch.
 15. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein lockingbetween the second latch and the second catch is released after lockingbetween the first latch and the first catch is released.
 16. Arefrigerator comprising: a main body comprising a storage chamber; adoor rotatably combined with the main body to open and close the storagechamber; an ice maker provided on the door; a detachable ice bucketprovided on the door to store ice made by the ice maker; an augerprovided on the ice bucket to be rotatable and comprising a transferunit transferring the ice in the ice bucket and a driving gear unitintegrally formed with the end of the transfer unit and transmittingrotary force; an agitator provided on the ice bucket to be rotated bythe rotary force transmitted from the auger and comprising an agitationunit agitating the ice in the ice bucket and a driven gear unit engagedwith the driving gear unit and combined with the end of the agitationunit; and a dual fixing device fixing the detachable ice bucket to thedoor.
 17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the dualfixing device comprises: a first latch provided on the ice bucket to berotatable and comprising a first locking part; an elastic memberelastically supporting the first latch; a second latch provided on theice bucket to be fixed and comprising a second locking part; a firstcatch provided on the door and comprising an upper support surfacesupporting the upper end of the first locking part to prevent separationof the ice bucket in the upward direction and a first side supportsurface supporting the side end of the first locking part to preventseparation of the ice bucket in the horizontal direction; and a secondcatch provided on the door and comprising a lower support surfacesupporting the lower end of the second locking part to preventseparation of the ice bucket in the downward direction and a second sidesupport surface supporting the side end of the second locking part toprevent separation of the ice bucket in the horizontal direction.